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Second Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Date published:
August 9, 2011, 23:00

  • Visconti to ride for Movistar in 2012

    Three - Visconti counts his tricolore
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 11:05
    By:
    Stephen Farrand

    Italian champion steps up to WorldTour level

    Movistar has confirmed that Giovanni Visconti will join the Spanish squad for 2012 and 2013 as the Italian national finally steps up to the WorldTour level in the hope of targeting the classics and short stage races.

    Visconti has stayed loyal to his mentor and friend Luca Scinto at the Farnese Vini team in recent years but has decided to move on for 2012. The Farnese Vini team is set to be built around sprinter Andrea Guardini and possible new signing Filippo Pozzato.

    “Last year I was close to changing teams (and joining Liquigas-Cannondale) but then I decided to stay to see if the team could step up a level. We hoped the team could secure a ProTeam licence but unfortunately it hasn’t happened,” Visconti told Gazzetta dello Sport.

    "I'm sorry to cut my ties to Luca and (team manager) Angelo Citracca because they always helped me. Fortunately now that our professional relationship is over, we get on even better."

    Visconti admitted that he knows little about Spain or the Movistar team but plans to spend time there this winter and learn the language as soon as possible.

    "I've bought a Spanish phrase book because I want to learn the language. But I also want to understand the Spanish culture, their mentality and how they live. I'm going to go there for a month this winter with my family. I'm not worried about fitting in because they have a Latin culture and have a lot in common with Sicily, where I come from."

    "I've already talked to team manager Eusebio Unzue a lot. He wants to know me as a person as well as a rider. I think we're going to get on really well."

    Classics and stage races but first the world championships

    Visconti has yet to discuss his 2012 race programme and goal but is expecting to target the classics and short stage races.

    "I think I'll focus on the classics in the first year but I can also climb, time trial and can look after myself on the climbs, so who knows, perhaps I can try and do something in a grand tour. I'm 28 but the truth is I've still got to mature completely as a rider," he said.

    Visconti is not worried about a possible rivalry with Alejandro Valverde if the Spaniard joins Movistar after his suspension for doping ends in 2012.

    "I hope he joins the team. Valverde is a great rider and as far as I know, a great person. We won't be rivals because no great team can be built around just one rider. It can only be an advantage to have him in the team."

    Visconti spent most of July preparing for the second half of the season.

    He will target the Trittico Lombardo race next week and then ride a full Italian calendar in the hope of being selected for the world championships in Copenhagen.

    "I'm worked hard and always go well in the summer. I hope to be selected but if I'm not there will be other chances. The next two world championships are tough and so suit me more. The important thing is to be part of Paolo Bettini project for the national team."

  • Italians warn against the Worlds being decided in a sprint

    Italy rolled out a strong lineup in the elite men’s road race and controlled much of the 257.5 kilometre race. Unfortunately the few kilometres Italy didn’t control were the closing two and the team were shutout of the medals after looking like dominating proceedings earlier in the day.
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 13:06
    By:
    Stephen Farrand

    Bennati, Modolo and Colli talk about the Copenhagen course

    This year's Worlds has been described as a sprinter's course but Italian riders Daniele Bennati, Sacha Modolo and Daniele Colli have warned that any eventual winner on September 25 will have to be far more than just a fast finisher.

    The 266km men's road race race starts with a 28km ride from the centre of Copenhagen to the circuit north of the city in Rudersdal. The men then face 17 laps of the 14km circuit. Each lap includes 105 metres of climbing but it is more the technical nature of the course and the rising finishing straight that caught the attention of the Italian riders.

    "Looking at it from a car or even on the bike during the race, it doesn't seem that hard. However it's definitely not like Zolder," Bennati told Gazzetta.it, referring to the pan flat Belgian motor racing circuit where Mario Cipollini won the world title in 2002.

    "The finish is at the top of a one kilometre straight road that climbs gradually. That will make it a tough sprint. The weather will be the unknown factor too. Staying protected will be vital and so will be the work of the team. If I was the leader of the Italian team, I'd need the speed in the finale to be as high as possible to avoid any surprises."

    Watch out for Freire, Gilbert and the wind

    Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox) won two stages at the Tour of Denmark last week and has been selected for Sunday's Olympic test event in London. He is also likely to secure a place in the nine-rider squad for the word championships, as Italy try to have as many options as possible in their team.

    Modolo is not a pure sprinter but knows how to fight for position and then can unleash a fast finish. He predicted that the pure sprinters could be in for a shock on the technical course in Denmark.

    "I don’t think it's a worlds for pure sprinters," he said claimed.

    "It's more for rouleur riders who have a fast finishers. We rode a lap of the course on Sunday and the first impression was that it's a selective course. Bennati is coming into form after his problems and could do well but I noticed that Oscar Freire was riding well. It suits him."

    "Whatever happens during the race, I don't think it'll be easy to control things for a big sprint finish. The route is more suited to attacks from people like Gilbert."

    Daniele Colli (Geox-TMC) finished eight overall at the Tour of Denmark and pointed out that the weather in Denmark could be a crucial factor.

    "The wind could be from the side and strong, especially in the first part of the race," he said. "It'll be important to watch out for echelons and to stay at the front. The circuit is full of black spots, where a break could disappear up the road into the woods, corners and ups and downs."

    The world championships begin on September 19 with the time trial events. The road races for juniors, Under 23 men and Elite men and women will be held on September 23, 24 and 25.

  • Degenkolb and Martin to Skil-Shimano?

    John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad) wins stage 4
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 14:30
    By:
    Daniel Benson

    Dutch Pro Continental squad seeks to bolster ranks

    Skil-Shimano's Iwan Spekenbrink has told Cyclingnews that any announcement over a possible signing of John Degenkolb will be made through official channels and at the appropriate time. The team boss has admitted that John Degenkolb is a rider he would be keen to sign, with HTC-Highroad set to wind up at the end of the season.

    Cyclingnews also understands that Spekenbrink is interested in signing a team leader, said to be Degenkolb's teammate Tony Martin. However Spekenbrink refused to comment on Martin specifically, only saying that he was a good rider and telling Cyclingnews that, "We are looking to sign a rider of his calibre if the opportunity is there."

    Like Degenkolb, Martin is on the market, as their contract for next year are void with HTC-Highroad ending.

    As for Degenkolb, who is one of the sport's most promising sprinters, Spekenbrink was more comfortable commenting on: "We've not made an official comment yet. What I can say is that Degenkolb is a very good rider and one that we're certainly...interested in. Hopefully we'll have more news in the coming weeks. A good agreement it depends on two sides. As soon as there is official news we'll make an official comment."

  • Euskaltel-Euskadi name their Vuelta shortlist

    Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) was a deserving winner on the Zoncolan.
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 15:19
    By:
    Peter Cossins

    Strong line-up to support Igor Antón’s bid for the title

    Euskaltel-Euskadi has named a strong squad of riders to support Igor Antón’s bid for victory in the Vuelta a España, which starts in Benidorm on August 20. Winner of two stages in last year’s race and one in this year’s Giro d’Italia, specialist climber Antón will be among the favourites for the title over what is an extremely mountainous course.

    The Basque team has selected 10 riders for the race, one of whom will drop out of the line-up. In addition to Antón, Giro and Vuelta stage-winner Mikel Nieve also features, as does former Vuelta mountains champion Egoi Martinez. Also in contention for a place on the start-line in Benidorm are Gorka Verdugo, Amets Txurruka, Juan Jose Oroz, Iñaki Isasi, Pierre Cazaux, Jorge Azanza and Iván Velasco.

    Antón enjoyed very mixed fortunes in last year’s race. As well as winning two stages, he also held the leader’s red jersey, but crashed out while wearing it on the stage to Peña Cabarga, breaking his elbow when he appeared to touch wheels with a teammate. Martínez was also forced out in the same incident after suffering a dislocated collar bone.

    This year’s race will be especially significant for the Euskaltel team as it will be the first time the Vuelta has ventured into the Basque Country for 33 years. There are two key stages at the tail-end of the final week in the region where Euskaltel is based and from where it draws all of its riders.

    There had been some conjecture that Tour of Burgos stage-winner Mikel Landa might force his way into contention for a Vuelta start. However, team boss Igor González de Galdeano has opted to focus on experience rather than young talent as the team target their first Grand Tour victory. Landa will instead ride a five-day race in France and the two one-day WorldTour events in Canada.

  • Leipheimer chasing US time trial champion Zabriskie in Utah prologue

    Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) at the start
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 15:35
    By:
    Cycling News

    Hesjedal a late withdrawal from race opener

    The Tour of Utah prologue should give some indication of just who will be the riders to watch when it comes to the general classification, with defending champion Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) last man out of the start gate just after 4pm local time.

    First off the blocks is Jason Donald (Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth), who won the first stage of the 2008 edition of the race. The prologue kicks off at 2pm with riders departing at one minute intervals.

    One man down to start that won't however take part is Garmin-Cervelo's Ryder Hesjedal. Team boss Jonathan Vaughters told Cyclingnews that the Canadian rode the Clasica San Sebastian, where he finished 2:05 behind winner Philippe Gilbert, following his appearance at the Tour de France and now simply needed the break. Hesjedal will not be replaced in the Garmin-Cervelo line up.

    While the 2010 edition of the Tour of Utah saw an uphill 4.5 kilometre prologue time trial course, this year the riders face a gruelling uphill two kilometres, which could result in some riders choosing to ditch their aero gear. The stage will begin with a quick downhill section before heading uphill at an average gradient of seven per cent on an access road to the top of the Nordic ski jump used during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

    Leipheimer will be chasing reigning US time trial champion Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervelo).

     

    # Rider Name (Country) Team
    1 Jason Donald (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 14:00:00  
    2 Simon Lambert-Lemay (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 14:01:00  
    3 Jose Fernando Antogna (Arg) Jamis-Sutter Home 14:02:00  
    4 Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 14:03:00  
    5 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Endura Racing 14:04:00  
    6 Marsh Cooper (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 14:05:00  
    7 Chase Pinkham (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 14:06:00  
    8 Dale Parker (Aus) Team Radioshack 14:07:00  
    9 Andrew Randell (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 14:08:00  
    10 Max Jenkins (USA) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 14:09:00  
    11 Cristian Montoya Giraldo (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 14:10:00  
    12 Tyler Wren (USA) Jamis-Sutter Home 14:11:00  
    13 William Dugan (USA) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 14:12:00  
    14 Paul Voss (Ger) Endura Racing 14:13:00  
    15 Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 14:14:00  
    16 Daniel Barry (NZl) PureBlack Racing 14:15:00  
    17 Reid Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 14:16:00  
    18 Andy Baker (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 14:17:00  
    19 Bjorn Selander (USA) Team Radioshack 14:18:00  
    20 Bruno Langlois (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 14:19:00  
    21 Christopher Jones (USA) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 14:20:00  
    22 Lachian Norris (Aus) HTC-Highroad 14:21:00  
    23 Oscar Alvarez (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 14:22:00  
    24 Nicolas Frey (USA) Jamis-Sutter Home 14:23:00  
    25 Maurizio Gorato (Ita) Geox-TMC 14:24:00  
    26 Scott Stewart (USA) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 14:25:00  
    27 Robert Partridge (GBr) Endura Racing 14:26:00  
    28 Joshua Berry (USA) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 14:27:00  
    29 Luis Crosby (NZl) PureBlack Racing 14:28:00  
    30 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 14:29:00  
    31 Dan Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 14:30:00  
    32 Rob Britton (Can) Bissell Pro Cycling 14:31:00  
    33 Christopher Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team 14:32:00  
    34 George Bennet (NZl) Team Radioshack 14:33:00  
    35 Ryan Roth (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 14:34:00  
    36 Robert Forster (Ger) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 14:35:00  
    37 Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC-Highroad 14:36:00  
    38 Rafael Montiel (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 14:37:00  
    39 Andrew Guptill (USA) Jamis-Sutter Home 14:38:00  
    40 Gian Paolo Cheula (Ita) Geox-TMC 14:39:00  
    41 Javier Megias Leal (Esp) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 14:40:00  
    42 Alexander Wetterhall (Swe) Endura Racing 14:41:00  
    43 Evan Hyde (USA) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 14:42:00  
    44 Mark Langlands (NZl) PureBlack Racing 14:43:00  
    45 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 14:44:00  
    46 Alexender Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 14:45:00  
    47 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 14:46:00  
    48 Chris Barton (USA) BMC Racing Team 14:47:00  
    49 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Radioshack 14:48:00  
    50 Danny Summerhill (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 14:49:00  
    51 Francois Parisien (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 14:50:00  
    52 Jacob Keough (USA) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 14:51:00  
    53 Zak Dempster (Aus) HTC-Highroad 14:52:00  
    54 Alejandro Ramirez Calderon (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 14:53:00  
    55 James Driscoll (USA) Jamis-Sutter Home 14:54:00  
    56 Tino Thomel (Ger) Geox-TMC 14:55:00  
    57 Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 14:56:00  
    58 John Anderson (Aus) Endura Racing 14:57:00  
    59 Ian Burnett (USA) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 14:58:00  
    60 Scott Lyttle (NZl) PureBlack Racing 14:59:00  
    61 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 15:00:00  
    62 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 15:01:00  
    63 Paul Mach (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 15:02:00  
    64 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 15:03:00  
    65 Jason Mccartney (USA) Team Radioshack 15:04:00  
    66 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 15:05:00  
    67 Lucas Euser (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 15:06:00  
    68 Bradley White (USA) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 15:07:00  
    69 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad 15:08:00  
    70 Javier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 15:09:00  
    71 Alejandro Alberto Borrajo (Arg) Jamis-Sutter Home 15:10:00  
    72 David Gutierrez (Esp) Geox-TMC 15:11:00  
    73 Rubens Bertogliati (Sui) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 15:12:00  
    74 Jack Bauer (NZl) Endura Racing 15:13:00  
    75 Oscar Clark (USA) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 15:14:00  
    76 Michael James Northey (NZl) PureBlack Racing 15:15:00  
    77 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale 15:16:00  
    78 Michael Creed (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 15:17:00  
    79 Jay Robert Thomson (Rsa) Bissell Pro Cycling 15:18:00  
    80 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team 15:19:00  
    81 Benjamin King (USA) Team Radioshack 15:20:00  
    82 Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 15:21:00  
    83 Flavio De Lune (Mex) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 15:22:00  
    84 Davide Frattini (Ita) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 15:23:00  
    85 Danny Pate (USA) HTC-Highroad 15:24:00  
    86 Carlos Alberto Ospina Hernandes (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 15:25:00  
    87 Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Jamis-Sutter Home 15:26:00  
    88 Albert Torres (Esp) Geox-TMC 15:27:00  
    89 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 15:28:00  
    90 Rene Mandri (Est) Endura Racing 15:29:00  
    91 Thomas Rabou (Ned) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 15:30:00  
    92 Timothy Gudsell (NZl) PureBlack Racing 15:31:00  
    93 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 15:32:00  
    94 Jesse Anthony (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth 15:33:00  
    95 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 15:34:00  
    96 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 15:35:00  
    97 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack 15:36:00  
    98 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 15:37:00  
    99 Pat Mc Carty (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 15:38:00  
    100 Scott Zwizanski (USA) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 15:39:00  
    101 Caleb Fairly (USA) HTC-Highroad 15:40:00  
    102 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 15:41:00  
    103 Tom Zirbel (USA) Jamis-Sutter Home 15:42:00  
    104 Marcel Wyss (Sui) Geox-TMC 15:43:00  
    105 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi 15:44:00  
    106 Iker Camano Ortuzar (Esp) Endura Racing 15:45:00  
    107 Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 15:46:00  
    108 Roman Van Uden (NZl) PureBlack Racing 15:47:00  
    109 Rory Sutherland (Aus) United Healthcare Pro Cycling 15:48:00  
    110 Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale 15:50:00  
    111 Glen Alan Chadwick (NZl) PureBlack Racing 15:52:00  
    112 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 15:54:00  
    113 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Esp) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio 15:56:00  
    114 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 15:58:00  
    115 Francisco Mancebo Perez (Esp) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team 16:00:00  
    116 Jeff Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team 16:02:00  
    117 David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 16:04:00  
    118 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 16:06:00  

  • Gripper hails the wider introduction of the biological passport

    Anne Gripper
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 16:27
    By:
    Daniel Benson

    Former UCI anti-doping chief praises Cadel Evans

    Anne Gripper has welcomed news that swimming’s international governing body (FINA) will introduce a biological passport system.

    Gripper, who led the UCI’s anti-doping programme until last year, oversaw one of the biggest anti-doping innovations the world of sport has ever seen, introducing a passport system that tracked a number of riders’ physically blood parameters rather than looking for traces of banned substances.

    Before she left the UCI in 2010 Gripper had overseen a number of doping cases using data from the passport. Since her departure no new cases have been opened by the UCI. Even though she no longer works in the field of anti-doping, Gripper still keeps a close eye on developments within the sport from Australia.

    “We’ll see more and more national programmes doing this,” Gripper told Cyclingnews when asked about FINA move to follow cycling and introduce a biological passport system.

    “I’m on the advisory board for our national anti-doping programme and it’s certainly high on their agenda to introduce the biological passport and it’s definitely the way for the future. I would ask any organisation to start doing it. It’s going to give us much better results with much more robust measures and as the concept develops we’ll be able to use it for steroids and other things as well, particularly when we get into the spectrum of genetic changes, then profiling will be absolutely essential to that.

    “My advice would be to come in and do targeted testing and collect the data.”

    Gripper’s wisdom and experience will be an invaluable ally in any war on doping. During the biological passport’s early days cycling had a deeply entrenched doping culture. When she started at the UCI in 2006 that year’s Tour de France was bookended by Operacion Puerto, and cases involving a Fribourg Clinic and Floyd Landis.

    Slowly, Gripper and the UCI’s other ant-doping experts, set about dislodging that culture. Along with an increase in testing and collaboration with national agencies and WADA, she would travel to team camps in the off-season, educating riders on the UCI’s position, on the biological passport and the ADAMS system, which tracked a rider’s whereabouts at any given moment.

    Gripper believes that doping was widespread in 2006 but that there was a shift in attitudes from within the sport as the passport came into effect. As well as pointing to new teams like Highroad and Garmin, that set out clear anti-doping messages, she saw a general shift occur as more and more riders began to question ethical standards.

    “I would suspect and assume that there was a shift away from dramatic doping and that the high and irregular doses of EPO were virtually non-existent once the passport was in place. I would assume that in 2006 most riders were taking EPO but I have no evidence of that. It’s anecdotal and in 2006 we had no way of checking that. In 2008 when we started the passport, there had been a few things that had happened in the sport. There was the beginning of an emergence of new teams and a new culture and certainly with some riders there had been a complete shift in doping because the teams wouldn’t have allowed it. However with some riders I think there was more of a shift to the micro dosing approach.

    “We were constantly challenged and questioned by riders at training camps. They questioned the need for the constant whereabouts and I think they naturally looked around thinking ‘I think this guy is doing it and this guy is doing it, why aren’t they being caught and why should I have to go through all this testing?’”

    Defending the biological passport, praising Cadel Evans

    Despite this apparent shift and progress the UCI was seen as slow and cumbersome in the fight against doping. The initial five cases launched by the UCI in 2008 involved ‘small fish’ or riders already close to retiring. It was assumed that the UCI didn’t have the guts to take on the larger challenges, an interesting presumption when you consider that Gripper believed that the majority of the field was cheating just two years before the first cases.

    However, Gripper is certain that the UCI’s initial cases were the most pressing, dismissing any discussion that the UCI wanted to make examples or precedents out of riders who were either on the cusp of retiring or who perhaps would not have the legal funds to take on a major challenge to CAS.

    “That was never the case. Those five were clearly the five we had to start with.

    “The sport requires a pretty high degree of certainty. I’m not saying by any means that the passport can pick up every single rider that is doping. The thresholds are pretty high and because we were just starting off, we made the thresholds as close as possible to 100 percent,” she said.

    “At no stage have I ever said that in those early years would the passport catch everything. We had to be pretty courageous to open those ones and certainly from our point of view it was important to go ahead with those cases that were close to certainly. At most they’re micro-dosing now which is certainly harder to pick up through the profile and it gives a reduced benefit.”

    Since those first five cases the UCI has opened a number of others, including those of Franco Pellizotti and Tadej Valjavec. Both appealed but had their guilty verdicts upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    “There were some other profiles that had some air of variability in them. That might have been associated to a whole lot of things and without the knowledge and scrutiny of the experts, the only ones that were clear enough to be seen to be considered, certainly while I was there, we opened those cases. There were heaps of others that had some variability in their profiles, which could have been caused by natural reasons, illness, injury that also went before the experts.”

    Gripper now works in the field of triathlon, back in her native Australia. She still keeps up to date with cycling though and watch avidly as Cadel Evans won this year’s Tour de France. While Gripper acknowledges that her time away from the sport would mean her knowledge of details on anti-doping and doping are limited, her opinion is that the sport can look at Evans as a clean winner.

    There was a much greater acceptance this year that Evans was able to win the Tour de France partly because there was very little of doping going on amongst his competitors.

    “I couldn’t think of anyone, and I know I might seem biased on this, more deserving of the win. Right back to his early days he’s always been the real deal. I had insight into his results for a few years and I just feel that there has never been an issue or a whiff of suspicion with Cadel,” Gripper told Cyclingnews.

  • Hushovd moves to BMC Racing Team in 2012

    Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) wins his second stage of the 2011 Tour de France.
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 18:37
    By:
    Cycling News

    World champion signs for three years

    World road champion Thor Hushovd has signed with BMC Racing Team for 2012, the team announced today in a press release. After spending one season with Garmin-Cervelo, the 33-year-old Norwegian has signed a three-year contract with BMC.

    Hushovd recently had a very successful Tour de France, in which he won two stages and wore the leader's jersey for seven days. The two-time Tour de France points classification winner is looking forward to joining the American ProTeam.

    "It's a serious team where it looks like everything is well-organized," Hushovd said. "There's a plan put together for the riders for all the big and important races. Everyone knows what to do. That's a good thing."

    Hushovd said one ambition remains when it comes to his Classics career. "My biggest goal is still to win Paris-Roubaix. The BMC Racing Team has good riders to support me or for me to help someone else on the team win."

    BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said signing Hushovd fits perfectly into the future plans of the organization. "Thor brings a lot of qualities to us and complements other riders on the team in races like the Spring Classics and the Grand Tours," Ochowicz said. "We're very happy to have his talents, enthusiasm and expertise now working with the BMC Racing Team family for 2012 and beyond."

    Exact terms of Hushovd's contract are not being disclosed, Ochowicz said, other than the deal extends through the end of the 2014 season.

  • Chris King adds Campagnolo-compatible hubs to range

    Chris King's road-specific R45 hubs feature lower drag than the company's other models plus a modified RingDrive mechanism that also runs quieter.
    Article published:
    August 9, 2011, 21:00
    By:
    James Huang

    R45 now also available with ceramic bearings

    Among the features of Chris King's road-specific R45 hubs was the promise of Campagnolo compatibility afforded by the slightly smaller 17mm-diameter axle – and that day has finally arrived. Chris King will offer complete hubs and separate freehub bodies to fit the Italian cassette standard beginning January 2012.

    Also new for the R45 range is a ceramic bearing option to go along with the ceramic bottom bracket announced last month.

    Other features for the R45 are unchanged for 2012, including the 102/221g claimed front/rear weights (ceramic bearing equipped versions are 3-5g lighter), lower-friction 45-tooth RingDrive internal mechanism and bearing seals, 20/24/28/32-hole drilling options, generous five-year warranty, and your choice of ten anodized colors. Just as before, R45 hubs will also continue to be manufactured in Chris King's Portland, Oregon facility.

    This article first appeared on BikeRadar

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